Improvement in knitting-machines



UNITI-3D STATES 4PATENT OFFICEO l JOHN THORNTON AND WM. THORNTON, OF PEASE HILL RISE, NOTTINGHAM,

ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNITTING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,444, dated June 5, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN THORNTON and WILLIAM THORNTON, of Pease Hill Rise, Nottingham, England, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements in Machinery for Producing Looped Fabrics 5 and we, the said JOHN THORNTON and WILLIAM THORN- TON, do hereby declare the nature ot' the said invention and in what mannerthe same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof-that is to say- This invention has for its object improvements in machinery for producing1 looped fabrics. For these purposes needles or hooks with hinged bits or beards are preferred to be used. Each needle is arranged to be capable of making a rotation or partial rotation, so as to cause it to work and produce loops in different positions-that is, in two positions opposite to each other. These needles or hooks are preferred to be set round a circle and to slide ingrooves, so as to knock over the work. A thread-carrier is used to supply thread in each of the positions assumed by the needles or hooks in working. The needles or hooks, as they receive a thread from one of the threadcarriers, when in one position, work the course in a similar manner to that in which like needles work a course in machines where no rotation is given to the needles or hooks. Then the needles or hooks make a half rotation on their axes, and present their beards in the opposite direction, and receive thread from another thread-carrier, and work another course, and so on, making a half rotation for each course. It is preferred that each needle or hook should have a screw-thread on its stem as the means of obtaining the turning action; but other arrangements may be made t'or turning the needles. It' desired, the machinery may be arranged to admit of the rotation ot the needles being suspended for any desired number of courses, by putting out of gear the rotating apparatus, and the fabric made on the needles or hooks by thread supplied to only one side of the needles or hooks.

And in order that our invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front view,

and Fig. 2 a sectional plan of machinery arranged according to our invention. Fig. 3 represents some of the parts separately.

a a are the hooks or needles we prefer to employ, such hooks or needles being those commonly known as Townsends self-acting needles.

In carrying out our invention each needle or hook is arranged to be capable of making a rotation or partial rotation, so as to cause the needles or hooks to face in either direction to receive thread for the formation of loops, thereby producing purl. Motion is also given to these hooks or needles to cause them to advance toward the center of the cylinder to receive thread for the formation of new loops, and then to recede and knock over the work previously formed.

To-and-fro movement tothe needles or hooks a is obtainedin the following manner: On the stem of each needle or hook is formed a knob or head, a', and a neck or groove, a2, which necks or grooves a2 restin forks or sockets b', formed on or affixed to the bolts or instruments b. On each of the bolts or instruments b two projections, b2, are formed, which projections embrace the cam e. The bolts or instruments b are capable of sliding in grooves d d2, formed in the cylinder d., and in the revolution ofthe cylinder d by means of the cam c, these bolts or instruments b are caused to move the hooks or needles a inward toward the center of the cylinder, to receive thread for the formation of new loops, and then to move the hooks or needles a outward to knock over the loops previously formed.

The partial rotary motion given to the hooks or needles a is, by preference, obtained in the following manner: On the stem of each of the hooks or needles a is formed a screw-thread, a3, which is clipped or embraced by a fork, c', formed on or afxed to each of the bolts or instruments e, which are capable of sliding in the grooves cl2 ot' the cylinder d. These bolts or instruments e impart a partial rotary motion to the hooks or needles a at the times desired by means of the cam g acting to move the forks e', carried by the bolts or instruments e along the screws a3 ot' the hooks or needles a. Inclines h act to guide and hold the work against the sinker-bits fi. lc are the thread guides and carriers.

The work is conveyed away through the tube Z to a work-roller or otherwise. Rotary motion is given to the cylinder dfrom the shaft or axis m, upon which is a toothed pinion taking into teeth formed on the periphery of the cylinder d.

The shaft or axis m may have fixed thereon a crank-handle to he driven by hand, or it may have fixed thereon a pulley, and receive motion by a strap or band from a steam-engine or other suitable power.

Having` described the movements of the various parts of the apparatus, we will now describe the mode in which work is produced. As the cylinder revolves the cam c causes the bolts or instruments b to advance toward the center of the cylinder d, carrying the hooks or needles a through the loops .last formed, the work being guided and held to the sinker-bits 'i by the inclines h. The bolts c, which clasp the screw-threads a3 by forks c', are then forced by the cam g along' the needles, the forks of the bolts e sliding,` along` the screw-threads di of the needles, causing them to turn a half rotation on their own axes. They are then slid outward from the center of the cylinder, seizing,` the thread from the thread-guide on that side of the cylinder toward which they front, taking it between the sinker-bits to form new loops and to knock over the loops previously formed. The needles are then again slid inward toward the center, but on the side of the fabric opposite to that on which they worked the last course, the work being guided and` held by the inclines 7L in the position required. Another course is then worked, as before, but on the opposite side of the fabric, and with the needles turned half round on their own axes, facing1 in a direction opposite to that of the last course. Thus each course byitself is worked in the ordinary manner, as is well understood.

We would here remark that although we have referred only to employing` that description of needle known as Townsends selfacting7 needle, other descriptions of needles may he employed, and a competent workman will, from the foregoing description, readily understand how to make the necessary modieations consequent upon the employment of other descriptions ofneedles or looping-instruments.

Having thus described the nature of our said invention, and the manner we prefer to carry the same into effect, we would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein shown and described; but

Vhat-we do claim is- The combination of the looping-instruments with the mechanism for operating them and with the thread-guides in such manner that said instruments are caused to make a partial rotation upon their axes and have thread laid and loops formed on them in the two positions occupied by them, and at opposite sides of the fabric, substantially as set forth.

JOHN THORNTON. VILLIAM THORNTON.

Witnesses:

FRED. MARRIOTT, A. Roenes,

0f Nottingham. 

